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User blog:LivesByProxy/Heir To Blackblade: Fulfilling League's Thief Fantasy
Ages ago, there was nearly a champion named Rob Blackblade. I say 'nearly a champion' because he didn't make it into the game, seeing as how, Riot admits, "he didn't keep with League's art style." I think this is fortunate for us, as The Dashing Rogue was as bland as they come. His presence would've made League worse, and Riot dodged a deadly bullet when they ditched him. The niche remains though - that unfulfilled fantasy of the thief. No champion in League embodies this archetype, even though . A quick Google search reveals that there is demand for a thief champion, if only for the sake of saying that League has a thief in her roster. The kits I see put forth though, aren't convincing. The potential is there though! Riot has for a thief champion, all they need is nudge in the right direction. Abilities Imoen's basic attack on an enemy champion from out of will not reveal her, but is followed by a second |i.e. unlocking}} period, after which her next basic attack against that champion will for modified magic damage. |customlabel = |custominfo = 7 |targeting = Unlocked & Loaded is an on attack effect. |damagetype = physical |spelleffects = single |spellshield = will block the magic damage part of the ability. |onhiteffects=The attack will apply on-hit effects and is guaranteed to critically strike. **The bonus damage will not be negated if the auto attack is , , , or if the attack misses, although it's base damage will. |additional = *'Imoen' 1st basic attack will not reveal her while she is stealthed, obscured by brush or terrain, and / or in the Fog of War. However, she must before she can attack again, proc'ing her passive's guaranteed crit. }} Imoen conjures a door, creating a 'one-way-in' corridor in a target direction for 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 seconds, that stealths all champions inside, |this is not true nearsight, as allied vision is conserved, and the vision loss suffered by enemies is total and absolute, i.e. more powerful than nearsight}} them for as long as they remain inside. |description2 = Champions can act freely inside, and can leave the corridor at any time. Allies retain stealth for seconds upon exiting, with Imoen remaining stealthed for up to seconds. Her spells and abilities will '''not' break her stealth. |description3 = '''Imoen' can reactivate Rogue's Passage to close the door, collapsing the corridor after a short delay, dealing magic damage to all enemies caught inside for 1 second. This will not break her stealth. |leveling = }} |cooldown = |cost = |costtype = mana |range = 1500 / 1750 / 2000 / 2250 / 2500 |targeting = Rogue's Passage is a linear, pass-through skillshot that leaves a trail behind. |damagetype = magic |spelleffects = AoE |onhiteffects = |spellshield = will block the damaging part of the ability and the . |additional = *Despite Rogue's Passage having only one-way in, there's no one way out. i.e.: You can step out / off it from any point of its area. *Once out you cannot regain the Rogue's Passage's effects unless entering from the proper entrance. However, unaffected enemy champions are still robbed of of their allies still inside. * Rogue's Passage will grant assists to Imoen if an ally that uses it scores a kill or assist inside or shortly after exiting. * There is no limit to how many times a given instance of Rogue's Passage may be used. * Units using Rogue's Passage are targetable whilst inside if . * Rogue's Passage cannot be used to exit the map. * Rogue's Passage cannot be utilized if a champion is . }} Imoen channels her into a thin beam in the target direction for the next 3 seconds, |this is not true nearsight, as her allied vision is still conserved}} herself otherwise. |description2 = This line of , and follows the cursor rapidly, but is bound within . |description3 = The granted by this ability supersedes the effects of Rogue's Passage, will on any enemy champions she spots for a few seconds, lets her , and lets her enemy champions concealed inside one of her corridors. |description4 = Moving or reactivating Keyhole immediately ends its effects. |cooldown = |cost = 40 |costtype = mana |range = 1500 / 1750 / 2000 / 2250 / 2500 }} After a delay, Imoen and all enemies in a target direction, as well as those , for 1 / 1.25 / 1.5 / 1.75 / 2 seconds. |description2 = Additionally, Imoen heals the most wounded ally hit by Hushhh! if that champion is in her corridor and is . |leveling = % |cooldown = |cost = 60 |costtype = mana |range = 1000 / }} , any and all enemy abilities that would affect her, including, but not limited to, , , and effects. |description2 = For the next 7 seconds, she may recast the last spell or ability she absorbed, free of any costs. |cooldown = 25 |cost = 100 |costtype = Mana |range = 350 }} Champion Insights The kits I see proposed are varied, but ultimately amount to the same thing: steal gold (or some other stat), do a CC thing, and deal tons of damage. The champion descriptions, too, are often much the same - apparently everyone imagines the generic leather-clad, dual wielding thief in one form or another. If this were any other game, that might not be so bad, but this is League of Legends. Our heroes should be iconic, thematically cohesive, interesting. For Riot to do a thief in League any justice, they must NOT do the typical grim cut-purse or gutter-skulk. I knew this much from the outset, but what room did that leave me? I began to think where in Runeterra would a legendary thief most likely come from? The answer came quickly: the Bilgewater. What better place for a thief than a land of , , and ? With the setting in mind, her character evolved. Suddenly, her questionable acts are moral - she steals from the thieves! But why does she steal? It's not for money, or even because she needs too, or because it's 'the right thing to do'. She does it for the challenge. It's fun for her. Fun. It was then I realized that our thief champion was, in fact, a little girl. Older than but younger than , she was this spunky, sarcastic, energetic waif living an almost care-free lifestyle in a place that is, by all accounts, not a very nice place to be. Almost at the same time, I knew that she needed to wield a key as her weapon. It just makes sense doesn't it? What more useful tool could a thief have at his or her disposal than a key that could open any door, and unlock any container or seal. Unfortunately, that idea had already been done in the form a of blade. But wait! What if, instead of using her key like a sword, she used it like a gun? So she became a Support / Marksman in my mind, and I attempted to give her abilities that suited her. I also tried to think of how she would look, and her silhouette in game. What I imagined was a little girl, with an oversized key-gun, and a cloak large enough for a grown man (perhaps alluding to a master-teacher-thief of hers) that was bright and gaudy, a rainbow of colors. This juxtaposition - that idea of a 'sneaky' character who wore loud, bright clothing - rang true to me. It also helped cement her personality, which is that of CeeCee, with a little bit of and , with a touch of Pinkie Pie, Mabel Pines. She's also reminiscent of Pippy Longstockings in many ways. She's this brazen little girl who is equal parts cutely naive and cruelly clever, but one of League's most light-hearted champions. Let me put it this way: if is the champion who jovially jumps in front of that to save you, laughing it off with ease, this girl is the champion who jumps in front of Braum - stealing Morg's Q - just so she could see the look on their faces. She's a homage to two characters specifically: Rikku from Final Fantasy X, and Imoen (for whom she's named) from the Baldur's Gate Trilogy. I'm sure there are many more characters to which countless players can recognize and identify with her, which is why I feel so strongly that this is a powerfully resonant thematic, one worthy of League of Legends. Questions For The Community Is she a thematically resonant champion? Do her abilities, artwork, and personality make sense? i.e. does she come together in a thematically cohesive way? Does she look fun to play? Over-loaded? Over-powered? Do her ability names, and their effects, make logical sense given what you know about thieves from gaming, popular culture, *cough* personal experience *cough*, i.e. can you savor the flavor? Let me know! Concept Art Concept Art Category:Custom champions